Amazon will open three fulfillment centers in the U.K. over the next two years that should speed up deliveries, officials announced recently.
One of the facilities is expected to be built in Liverpool, England, according to news reports. Amazon did not say where the two other fulfillment centers will be, but it did note that the new centers will create 2,000 permanent jobs. Amazon will also add 3,000 temporary jobs during the holiday selling season.
The retailer currently has eight fulfillment centers in the U.K., according to Amazon’s Locations page. That includes a 450,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Hemel Hempstead, England, which opened on Aug. 7 and created 600 jobs.
The additional fulfillment centers are “great news” for the U.K., British Prime Minister David Cameron, tells reporters.
“This shows that the U.K. has the infrastructure and talent to continue to attract major investments from leading companies such as Amazon,” he says.
Amazon plans to open 18 fulfillment centers this year, according to news reports. Though expansions like these are meant to make orders fulfilled by Amazon arrive quicker, they have taken their toll on the retailer’s pocketbook. Earlier this year, Amazon’s second-quarter earnings noted a 96-percent year-over-year decrease in net income because of capital expansion.